Intensive care unit

ABSTRACT

AN INTRNSIVE CARE UNIT PAIRS OF ROOMS SET UP SO THAT A PORTION OF THE INTERIOR OF ONE ROOM MAY BE VIEWED FROM A NURSE STATION DIRECTLY THROUGH A TRANSPARENT PORTION OF A WALL THEREOF. THE PAIR OF ROOMS SHARE A COMMON WALL ALSO HAVING A TRANSPARENT PORTION, SO THAT A PORTION OF THE INTERIOR OF THE OTHER ROOM MAY BE VIEW THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT PORTION OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED WALL AND THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT PORTION OF THE COMMON WALL.

Nov. 30, 1971 R. K. MEYER I INTENSIVE CARE UNIT 3 Sheets-Shoot 1 Filed Aug. 15', 1969 Y... m U 7. OQ @N (GNU D N\ mm on QN D 3 Wm M m a i L 1 mm -M NM m Q ow M 8 3 Q 8 1 I l J n j mm 9 P QFE @J Y E INVENTOR.

RONALD K MEYER MAM y ATTORNEYS Nov. 30, 1971 R. K. MEYER 3,623,284

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT Filed Aug. 15, 1969 3 Sheets-Shoot 2 INVENTOR.

RONALD K. MEYER ATTORNEYS Nov. 30, 1971 1 R. K. MEYER 3,623,284

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT Filed Aug. 15, 1969 3 She0tsSh00t 5 INVENTOR.

RONALD K. MEYER half/44 7444! r ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,623,284 INTENSIVE CARE UNIT Ronald K. Meyer, Mill Valley, Califl, assignor to Electro/ Systems, Inc., Richmond, Calif. Filed Aug. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 850,542 Int. Cl. A61g 12/00; E04h 3/08 US. Cl. 5234 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An intensive care unit has pairs of rooms set up so that a portion of the interior of one room may be viewed from a nurse station directly through a transparent portion of a wall thereof. The pair of rooms share a common wall also having a transparent portion, so that a portion of the interior of the other room may be viewed through the transparent portion of the first-mentioned wall and through the transparent portion of the common wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an intensive care unit, and more particularly, to the design and layout of such an intensive care unit.

Due to the very nature of an intensive care unit, a close watch must be kept on all of the patients in the unit. Of course, hospital personnel must be capable of keeping such close watch in an efficient, time saving manner, so that their valuable time is not wasted.

With this in mind, various attempts have been made to increase the efficiency of design of the intensive care unit so that the patient may be more conveniently but properly observed. However, such efliciency at present is not at a maximum, and improvements thereof are constantly being sought.

It is an object of this invention to provide an intensive care unit design in which a close watch may be kept on patients in a quite convenient manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an intensive care unit design which, while fulfilling the above object, utilizes the internal space thereof extremely efiiciently, providing proper privacy for the patients, yet allowing them to be properly observed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly stated, the inventors intensive care unit comprises a first room having first and second walls defining transparent portions, and a second room having as a wall thereof said second wall. A station is located outside the first and second rooms adjacent the first wall, and is positioned such that (i) at least a portion of the interior of the first room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the first wall, and (ii) at least a portion of the interior of the second room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the first wall and through the transparent portion of the second 'wall. The intensive care unit further comprises a third room having third and fourth walls defining transparent portions, and a fourth room having as a wall thereof said fourth wall. The station is located outside the third and fourth rooms adjacent the third wall and is positioned such that (iii) at least a'portion of the interior of the third room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the third wall, and (iv) at least a portion of the interior of the fourth room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the third wall and through the transparent portion of the fourth wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification and drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a schematic floor plan of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic floor plan of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic floor plan of yet another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The floor plan of a first embodiment of the intensive care unit 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Such unit includes generally rectangular aligned rooms 12, 14, 16, 18. Rooms 12 and 14 share a common wall 20, and rooms 18 and 16 share a common wall 22. Wall 20 defines a transparent glass portion 20A, and wall 22 defines a transparent glass portion 22A. Rooms 14, 16, as shown, have aligned front walls 24, 26, which define transparent glass portions 24A, 26A respectively. Swinging doors 28, 30, 32, 34 allow entrance into and exit from the rooms 12, 14, 16, 18 respectively. Electrically operated curtains" 36, 38, 4t 42 are associated with walls 20, 22, 24, 26 so that privacy is afforded the individual rooms. That is, curtains 36, 38, 40 and 42 are movable, through suitable electric control means, from a substantially fully retracted or collapsed position (FIG. 1) to a substantially fully extended position whereby their associated transparent portions 20, 22, 24, 26 are selectively opened and closed to view. Intensive care beds 44, 46, 48, 50 are positioned within rooms 12, 14, 16, 18 respectively.

Rooms 12 and 18 have their own private lavatory 52, 54, as shown. A common lavatory 56 is positioned between rooms 14, 16 and is accessible to both.

Outside the rooms 12, 14, 16, 18 and facing the front walls 24, 26 is a nurse station 58. From such station 58 a portion of the interior of the room 14 can be viewed through the transparent portion 24A of the front wall 24 (the curtain 38 being open, of course). Also from such station 58, a portion of the interior of the room 12 can be viewed from the station 58 through the transparent portion 24A of the wall 24, and through the transparent portion 20A of the wall 20.

Furthermore, from station 58, a portion of the interior of the room 16 can be viewed through the transparent portion 26A of the wall 26, and a portion of the interior of the room 18 can be viewed through the transparent portion 26A of the wall 26 and through the transparent portion 22A of the wall 22. The beds 44, 46, 48, 50 are positioned in those portions of the rooms 12, 14, 16, 18 which can be so viewed from the station 58.

To the rear of the station 58 are nourishment and medical preparation centers 60, 62, and storage spaces 64, 66. An entry and exit area '68 is included next to the storage area 64, and another entry and exit area may be included next to storage area 66. Staff room 72 is included at one corner of the unit 10, and an equipment storage room 74 is included at another corner of the unit 10.

Emergency exits 76, 78 are included from rooms 12, 18 respectively. Air conditioning units 80 are included outside the unit 10, and are connected by appropriate means to air-condition unit 10. 1

Shown in FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of intensive care unit 110. Such unit includes rooms 112, 114, 116, 118, and a station 158 similar to the previous embodiment. However, further included are additional patient rooms 182, 184. Such rooms 182 and 184 share a common wall 186, which defines transparent portion 186A. A nurse station 188 is positioned in front of a wall 190 of room 184, the wall 190 defining a transparent portion 190A. From station 188, a portion of the interior of the room 184 can be viewed through the transparent portion 190A of wall 190, and through such transparent portion 190A, and the transparent portion 186A, a portion of the interior of room 182 may be viewed. Beds 192, 194 are positioned in the rooms 182, 184 in those areas of the rooms 182, 184 which may be viewed from station 188.

A large entry and exit area 196 is included, and a staff room 198 is included adjacent such entry and exit area 1%.

Shown in FIG. 3 is a third embodiment of intensive care unit 210. Such unit 210 includes rooms 212, 214, 216, 218, 282, 284 and stations 258 and 288. Further included are additional patient rooms 300', 302. Such rooms 300, 302 show a common wall 304 which defines a transparent portion 304A. Station 288 extends in front of front wall 306 of room 300, the wall 306 defining a transparent portion 306A. From station 288, portions of rooms 282, 284 may be viewed, as previously described. In addition, a portion of the interior of the room 300 (where a bed 308 is placed) may be viewed from station 288 through the transparent portion 306A of wall 306, and a portion of the interior of the room 302 (where a bed 310 is placed) may be viewed from station 288 through the transparent portion 306A of wall 306 and through the transparent portion 304A of wall 304.

A large entry and exit area 312 is included, and leads to a treadle operated door 314. Staff room 316 is provided adjacent the entry and exit area 312. A separate mechanical building 318 is included in the unit 210, and next to the mechanical building 318, running from between rooms 212, 282 is an emergency exit 320.

It will be seen that herein are provided various embodiments of intensive care unit which insure that the patient may be watched closely in an efficient, time saving manner. This is insured by the particular layout of the rooms, the walls of which define strategically positioned transparent areas through which viewing of the patients takes place from a nurse station. Meanwhile, proper privacy is attorded each individual patient.

Each unit is extremely compact and efiicient in its use of space, the first (four-bed) embodiment being 24 ft. by 48 ft., the second (six-bed) 36 ft. by 48 ft., and the third (eight-bed) 36 ft. by 60 ft.

1 claim:

1. An intensive care unit comprising:

(a) a first room having at least first and second walls defining transparent portions, each of said transparent portions being selectively partially closable to view, and said first wall extending perpendicular to said second wall;

(b) a second room having as a wall thereof said second wall;

() a station located outside the first and second rooms adjacent the first wall, and positioned such that (i) at least a portion of the interior of the first room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the first wall when said transparent portion is open to view;

(ii) at least a portion of the interior of the second room can be viewed from the station in a direct line from said station through the transparent portion of the first wall and through the transparent portion of the second wall when each of said transparent portions are open to view;

(d) a bed associated with each of said rooms and disposed therein along said direct line so that each of said beds can be viewed simultaneously from said station; and

(e) closure means associated with each of said transparent portions for selectively closing said transparent portions to view, said closure means being movable from a substantially fully extended position whereby said transparent portions are substantially totally closed to view to a substantially fully retracted position whereby said transparent portions are substantially totally opened to view and means associated with said closure means for selectively extending and retracting said closure means to a plurality of positions located between said substantially fully retracted and said substantially fully extended positions.

2. An intensive care unit according to claim 1 and further comprising:

(d) a third room having third and fourth walls defining transparent portions, each of said transparent portions being selectively partially closable to View, said third wall extending perpendicular to said fourth wall;

(e) a fourth room having as a Wall thereof said fourth wall;

(f) said station being located outside all of said rooms adjacent the first and third walls, and positioned such that (iii) at least a portion of the interior of the third room can be viewed from the station through the transparent portion of the third wall when said transparent portion thereof is open to view,

(iv) at least a portion of the interior of the fourth room can be viewed from the station on a direct line from said stations through the transparent portion of the third wall and through the transparent portion of the fourth wall when said transparent portions of said third and fourth walls are open to view and beds positioned in those portions of the interiors of the third and fourth rooms which can be viewed simultaneously in a direct line from the station.

3. An intensive care unit according to claim 2 wherein are further included common lavatory means between the third and fourth rooms and accessible to both.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,336 1/1927 Youngblood 52-106 X 1,629,371 5/1927 Youngblood 52-106X FOREIGN PATENTS 613,513 1/1961 Canada 52-239 PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

